1. Field
The present invention relates generally to a mobile enclosure with a doorway. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention concern a transportable animal care station that can be lifted and transported by a vehicle.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
People have long sought to observe and/or treat animals, whether tame or wild, in the animal's customary environment. This is particularly true of ranchers or farmers who raise livestock. Large varieties of livestock, such as cattle or horses, are ubiquitous on North American farms and require periodic care. However, such animals often present a bodily threat to the care provided, particularly if an animal acts defensively and/or aggressively. A newborn bovine calf typically requires treatment, observation, and/or transportation by the owner soon after birth. However, the bovine mother will instinctively protect the calf from any intruder, including a human, and can potentially injure a human in close proximity to the calf. Movable pens and trailers are used by care providers to catch and observe cattle in remote locations.
Prior art trailers, mobile pens, and other vehicles are deficient at supporting the in situ treatment of animals by a care provider and suffer from certain undesirable limitations. For instance, care providers often must catch and treat newborn calves without the assistance of another person. When in the presence of an aggressive and/or defensive cow, it is difficult for the care provider to catch and hold the calf while avoiding contact with the cow, even when a prior art vehicle or pen is available. Prior art trailers and mobile pens are also time consuming and difficult to deploy at a treatment location using a vehicle, particularly where the location has limited space for the vehicle to maneuver.